Gosh. This is why I usually don't bother responding to letters, and try to confine comments to Glenn. You guys don't read very well.

Archtype: "It seems you are under the assumption that the US Military possesses some sort of technology in 2009 that allows us to avoid all "collateral damage"" The original point made by Glenn was that thousands of civilians who are protesting now would be dead because of our bombing. Nothing he (or you) has said has justified that.

Iokannan in the Well: I'm arguing that a bombing campaign would be wrong, but it wouldn't kill thousands of potential protestors. The political impact of such a wrong-headed military action would be tricky to predict.

Chris Sinnard: Thanks for the glowing review! Yes indeed, I'm a strong supporter of Israel. But I don't fall into any of your pigeonholes, and that confuses you. You quoted letters of mine where I support unilateral talks with Hamas, where I come out against Israel's action in Gaza (but understand it), and am tired of thugs running governments. I am and always have been against any sort of military action against Iran.

That you think any of this makes me a liberal means you're completely ignorable.

I love it when the left thinks I'm conservative and the right thinks I'm liberal. I can't stand it when people have knee-jerk reactions to phrases and don't bother to read the material in question. I'll post this, then you can have the last word if you want. I'm outa here (until next letter).

Another fine job, Glenn, that really nails the issue. Bush broke the law and got away with it (so far) and Obama is continuing and building on the illegal practice.

But I have a question: Do you ever pick up a phone and call former or current members of the FBI, former or current members of Congress who voted for the expansion of the 1978 FISA or any of the former or current members of Congress who supported either Bush or Obama in this? Surely, you have clout and a phone call or e-mail would help shed light on the situation.

When Bush stole the 2000 election there were protests, but didn't make the news much and they petered out. When The GOP stole the 2002 elections, hardly anyone said a word. When Bush stole the 2004 elections, the conservative news media just rolled over.

And yet, as these polls on detention without charges show, the majority of Americans are not at all happy with many of the decisions made by Bush and co... and didn't at the time.

When the farther-right-than-the-right-wing-"reformers" screwed around with the recent election in Iran -- and we don't know exactly what or how -- massive protests are in the streets and everyone is noticing. Some violence has been reported but government suppression isn't working very well.

The US electorate should take lessons from our Iranian counterparts.

A good column, once again, where you nailed what is wrong with American Journalism: Not only are they really bad at actual reporting, they go out of their wait to do the exact opposite of real journalism. We want and need a "liberal" news media, ie one that tells the truth.

I loved your use of the Colbert quote from the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner 4/29/06: "Reality has a well-known liberal bias." -- Stephen Colbert. Since the Nixon days we had to shake our heads along with one of the writer of The Illuminatus Trilogy: "What kind of world is it where the reality is weirder than the satire?" -- Robert Anton Wilson, "Shrödinger's Cat".

But when Bush took office, claiming Jesus was his main political advisor, everything remotely Christian flew out the window. Swearing false oaths was in fashion. (Many tried to hew to the letter of the law while ripping up the spirit of the Biblical Commandment, which is why Bush refused to testify under oath to the 9/11 commission even though he had utterly lied throughout.) Conservatives don't have the values that made America great. Of course, they claim the exact opposite.

Perhaps we should require all statements made by Republicans to be made with a hand on a Bible. If they're not lying, they would do it. What are they trying to hide?

Once lying was institutionalized in both the Republican Party (with creep into the Democratic Party) and the conservative news media, some people with guts took notice. Very few. Indeed, the people with guts were the comedy shows. You cited Colbert. Here's one of my favorite quotes from The Daily Show 6/22/05: "What doesn't have credibility today is the truth." -- Bill Moyers.

Moyers, as is often the case, nailed it.

Now what?